Sweetbay Launches “My Essentials”

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Tampa Florida-based Delhaize subsidiary Sweetbay supermarkets this week will launch a new, store-wide Private Brand called “My Essentials,” with prices and nutrition levels directly targeted to beat comparable Private Brand products at price-driven rivals like Walmart, Target and super-discounter Aldi. Which if target against Great Value (which despite the word value in its name is a NBE brand) and Market Pantry will create another National Brand Equivalent line for the Delhaize portfolio of Private Brands.

If Walmart’s “Great Value” sandwich bread is 88 cents a loaf, Sweetbay spokeswoman Nicole LeBeau said Sweetbay’s “My Essentials” bread will be cheaper. Same with yogurts, cheese, paper towels, eggs, trash bags, soda, canned beans, Ketchup, frozen pizza, bran flakes and more than 500 other items that will invade the 105 Sweetbay stores across the region.

Customers will begin to see My Essentials items on Sweetbay shelves this week, LeBeau said, with hundreds more through April in fresh foods and dry goods – backed by a regional multi-channel advertising campaign in print, billboard, radio and social media. By June, all 500-plus new items should be on shelves.The new food items will be trans-fat free, with lower sodium and sugars – but tested in third-party kitchens to match or beat rivals on taste and performance, the company said. Nutrition information (normally printed on the back or side) will appear on the front of the package. And Sweetbay officials say they’ll offer a double-money-back guarantee if customers don’t like the products.

Sweetbay officials hope the My Essentials brand helps them stand out in a market where direct rivals have their own signature value offers. Publix heavily advertises its Buy One, Get One free items each week. Walmart promotes its Everyday Low Prices. Target promotes its groceries as conveniently attached to their general merchandise stores. And fast-growing discount chain Aldi offers its own store brands, and a no-frills retail experience.

The My Essentials brand will join others at Sweetbay, from the Delhaize stable of private brands including: National Brand Equivalent (NBE) Hannaford, “Home 360″ for general merchandise, pet and baby products, “Healthy Accents” for HBC products, “Nature’s Place” for natural and organics, and “Taste of Inspirations” for premium food items.

So what is My Essentials, the “better for you” at a value price presents an interesting brand positioning with few if any competitors and provides an interesting and potentially innovative distinction between My Essentials and the other value tier brand in the Delhaize portfolio, “Smart Option.” Perhaps over time My Essentials will replace Smart Option at all of the Delhaize US banners or forces Smart Option down a tier to a super value positioning.

Christopher Durham is the founder of My Private Brand and the VP of retail brands at Theory House, the branding and retail marketing agency. He is the author of “Fifty2: The My Private Brand Project,” a consultant, strategist and retailer who has worked with the world’s largest retailers to build, manage and grow compelling billion dollar brands.